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Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, responded to the Education Secretary’s announcement that supermarket vouchers are being made available to schools and families of children entitled to free school meals 

“No young person should have to go hungry and ensuring vulnerable pupils, including those on free school meals and with special educational needs and disabilities, are provided for is a top priority for councils and schools.

“The LGA has been calling for a national scheme to avoid each local area setting up its own arrangements, so today’s announcement is good news.

“There are already an estimated 1.3 million young people entitled to free school meals, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has meant that there are now a large number of families signing up to benefits.

“We want to work with the Government to ensure that struggling families are able to access the scheme as soon as possible. The Government should also consider extending the voucher scheme to cover families over the school holidays.”

Notes

• The LGA is constantly liaising with Public Health England and the Government regarding the evolving situation with the outbreak of the coronavirus, raising issues on behalf of our member councils. Our online hub features the latest Covid-19 information for councils and is regularly updated.

Voucher scheme launches for schools providing free school meals